Area of refuge
Finding your shelter from the storm
First off, thanks to all of you who have sent kind words about our family medical issue I mentioned in the last newsletter. Sorry to be vague about it, but we’re still sorting some things out. I think for the time being, I’ll just start these newsletters with the old prayer-hands emoji if we still need good vibes sent our way.
🙏
The first time I saw an AREA OF REFUGE sign was in an old hotel in Auburn, Alabama (that’s where I took the photo above). I’ve seen them in a couple of other places since then. An area of refuge is a designated place where people gather if they have mobility problems and can’t evacuate a building in an emergency. In a hotel, for example, it’s often a stairwell or elevator lobby.
It has always struck me as an evocative phrase. And this week it feels like an urgent one.
I’m not going to go into much detail about my thoughts on the election … if you’re interested, I wrote about it both before and after Election Day in my regular commentaries for WFAE. For now I’ll just say this: A lot of us are dreading what might happen in these next four years, and it’s more important than ever that we find ways to take care of one another and ourselves.
We should figure out our areas of refuge and spend as much time there as we can.
This week I’ve been blasting some old music I love and watching old WEST WING clips and reading a mystery novel set in my hometown. We’ve been buying milkshakes for Alix’s mom and catching up with family and friends. I deactivated my Twitter account to keep from giving Elon Musk another second of my attention. Addition and subtraction.
You can’t always make a problem go away. But sometimes you can go away from the problem.
I’d love to hear from y’all about your own areas of refuge—the things you do when you need to escape for a little bit. It will definitely help me to hear your ideas, and maybe we can all help one another as well. I love the community we’ve built here. It’s one of my areas of refuge, and I hope it’s yours, too.
Jump in the comments and let us know what you’re doing—and how you’re doing.
Subscribe to The Writing Shed for free to get more posts like these in your mailbox every week! You can also become a paid subscriber to help support my work. I couldn’t do this without you.
Announcements!
—I’ve been waiting for a while to tell you about this and now it’s official: I’ll be part of the amazing roster of authors appearing at the Savannah Book Festival next Feb. 6-9. This is a huge festival in one of America’s great cities … as John Berendt said in MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, “If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, ‘What's your business?’ In Macon they ask, ‘Where do you go to church?’ In Augusta they ask your grandmother's maiden name. But in Savannah the first question people ask you is ‘What would you like to drink?’” So yeah, it ought to be fun.
They’ve been rolling out the author list a few at a time … keep checking here for more great names. Hope to see y’all there.
—The great folks at Avid Reader Press, publishers of DOGLAND, sent me something the other day that I didn’t know existed: Large print editions of the book!
I have three extra copies to give away to Shedheads … remember, these are LARGE PRINT editions, for you or somebody you know who might have poor eyesight.
If you’d like a copy, email me at tomlinsonwrites@gmail.com with “DOGLAND large print” in the subject line and your mailing address in the body of the email. I’ll wait a couple of days for requests to come in and then will pick three winners at random. Best of luck!
—Finally, since we are officially in Holiday Season, I am obligated as a working author to remind you that DOGLAND would make a fantastic holiday gift for any dog person you love.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM is a little tricker as a present, given the subject matter, but I’ve heard from many readers who have given it as a gift as part of a longer conversation with someone they care about.
Also, you can give a gift subscription to the Writing Shed—no wrapping necessary! (I might remind you of this again on or around Dec. 24.)
Reading smart words by smart and kind people like yourself is my refuge. But my continued motto through this cancer of a president is that action will absorb anxiety. I cannot change the election. I cannot change anyone's mind now or in general, but I can take action and for me that means small baby steps. Yesterday, there were many lovely tributes to veterans. While these tributes are of course, lvely and important, I want people to educate themselves on how marginalized many veterans are after active duty. They lack quality, timely medical care and affordable housing. It is a real shame. I am not of a military family. But the lip service our government and sometimes society in general gives our military is just that -- words. "Thank you for your service." Yesterday, I encouraged friends instead to take the small step of donating to a food panty or other organization that contributes to helping those who need it the most. It doesn't have to be any big donation. Just enough to cover a meal or two. Action Absorbs Anxiety.
I’m spending lots of time with Jed, Leo, Abby, Josh, Toby, Sam, C.J., Donna & Margaret - before & after the election. Also Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. Lisa is pretty sure she could castrate a reindeer or musk ox at this point. Could come in handy.
💔